With the advent and huge popularity of image scanners, video capture cards and digital still and video cameras, it is common for people to store a large number of photographs and other documents on personal computers and other computer related devices. There is a need for users of these devices to be able to access and navigate through their documents to view items and to visually search for items.
Modern computing systems often provide a variety of methods for viewing large collections of documents which can be controlled by computer interface control devices including a mouse and pointer, and also by keyboard input, or other physical controls such as scroll wheels, as found on some mouse devices. The methods generally provide a means to select a location within a storage structure and return the set of items within that location or to return a set of items matching a certain query. A viewing area is then used to display representations of items from the set, typically in a sequence. For large sets it is common that only a limited number of the items in the set are be viewed in the viewing area at any one time. The user can use the mouse and pointer or other input control device to execute commands which move items through the viewing area so that items earlier or later in the sequence are displayed. The action of visually moving items through or past a display area is herein referred to as “scrolling”. The action of controlling scrolling for the purpose of exploring a set is herein referred to as “browsing”. These terms are widely known in the art according to these general definitions.
It is common for computer programs to provide means for the user to adapt the proportions of the viewing area such that more or less items of the set can be viewed at any one time. The controls used to adapt the proportions of the viewing area are separate from the controls used to control the scrolling of items. In some configurations this means that the sequence of items can be arranged in a number or rows and columns. Changing the proportions of the viewing area while maintaining the same size of representation for each item means that the number of rows or columns can also change. The user can choose which configuration is most effective for their current task. For example, when scanning a varied collection for a distinct item, a large number of rows and columns may be most suitable to scan the collection as fast as possible. For a task such as scanning for an item within many similar items, it may be better to have fewer rows or columns so that it is easier for the user to pay close attention to displayed representations of items as they are scrolled through the viewing area.
Another approach to provide for scanning and also for close inspection is to distort the proportions of individual items when they are selected for close inspection so that they are shown much larger, and the adjacent items are either occluded or compressed (reduced) in size. These interfaces may also include a scrolling ability.
Devices such as computer game systems and digital video players also often provide methods wherein the user can control a set of items which can be moved through a viewing area using handheld controls. These types of devices do not usually include mouse or keyboard input controls such as those typically associated with stand-alone personal computer systems. These devices typically do not have the ability to change the proportions of the viewing area with the same freedom as with a personal computer system. This lack of freedom allows for the use of a simpler control system which is better suited to the types of handheld controllers these devices use. These devices also tend to have smaller collections to view and therefore need only offer a less flexible system that is easier to control, is more efficient and generally more satisfying for the user.
Accordingly, systems for scrolling through sets of items can demand different configurations for different situations. ISO9241 defines the usability of a system as comprising the efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction which a user experiences when interacting with the system. The prior art described demonstrates that efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction for a scrolling interface can be affected by the configuration chosen related to the device used.
Recently, some personal computer systems have been adapted to provide for display using a standard television set and control using a relatively simple remote control unit, akin to those commonly associated with television sets. This leads to large collections being accessed with simple input devices. There is a need for users to be able to scroll large collections with simple input controls with an acceptable level of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction.